


Shuttered

by ragewerthers



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Humor, Spooky Houses, slight creepiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-31 19:08:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21150725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ragewerthers/pseuds/ragewerthers
Summary: Gladio and Ignis teach Prompto and Noctis the art of observance... and perhaps a bit of self preservation.





	Shuttered

**Author's Note:**

> This is just something that sprung into my head while I was driving home today and passed by an old building in my neighborhood. Its been there for years and it's always been so creepy so what better season to share its creepiness with then around Halloween?! :D
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr at ragewerthers.tumblr!
> 
> Happy reading! :D

It was something that had become absolutely commonplace in the landscape as they traveled through Lucis. Rundown buildings and shacks that laid dotted amongst the scenery that no one even thought to give a second glance or look at anymore.

Some were twisted and rusted metal outposts that had weathered sand and sun.

Some were collapsed and dilapidated wood sheds that always seemed to crop up near gas stations.

The one common trait they all gave was that unsettled feeling of something once lived in and used now left to stand alone in time. They were shells of themselves with nothing inside but cobwebs, dust and un-shared memories of the people who had inhabited them before.

That is… until they happened upon one particular building.

A particular mission had sent them to the northern part of Cleigne, the region filled with forests and mountainous terrain. They’d had to leave the Regalia parked on the side of the road so they could venture into some of the dense undergrowth for a few vegetables that Takka needed for a recipe.

Obviously this was a mission that was going to be taken, as any chance for Ignis to get a new recipe was one that _ would not _ under any circumstances be missed, thank you very much.

Gladio was just glad that it was fair weather today. It had started to cool down in that autumnal way and it was a welcome relief from the sweltering heat they’d had to endure during their time in Lestallum.

“Come on, big guy! Ignis is going to leave us all behind if we don’t hurry!” Prompto called to him, pulling Gladio from his reverie as he began to follow the group.

He could just make out the sounds of Noct and Ignis’s voices from up ahead, bickering over the fact that they were risking a drop attack from Imperials all over some tomato's. However, the Adviser wasn’t going to be deterred, of that Gladio was positive.

To be fair, it always made him smile to see Noct having to do this sort of leg work over what the Prince considered his most detested enemy.

The common vegetable.

Chuckling to himself as he heard a groan of disappear from his young charge, he had just about caught up to Prompto when something caught his eye.

Pausing, Gladio glanced to his left at the shadow that had drawn his attention. There was something about its shape that didn’t fit with the rest of the natural landscape and as he narrowed his eyes he realized why.

Nestled in among a few jack pines, and with a roof covered in thick moss, it soon became clear that it was a small, abandoned building. It looked like there had once been white paint on the facade, but now it was chipped and cracked. With the paint flaking away it showed the dark, almost black, wood underneath more than anything else.

That definitely piqued his interest. Why would there be a building… a _ painted _ building so far into the woods here? The nearest town was at least a forty-five minute drive away and there hadn’t been any other houses spotted nearby. Not just that, but there weren’t any trails here either? Nothing that spoke of there having been a settlement or campsite here.

Gladio slowly started to make his way closer, his eyes continuing to scan the area as he took in this misplaced building in a world where abandoned buildings were plentiful nowadays.

He was still a good twenty feet from it when he started to take in more of the features and that’s when it really started to sink in that there was something not right here.

“Gladio? Gladio, hey? Didn’t you hear us calling for ya?” Prompto’s bubbly voice spoke up just a little ways behind him, the Adivser and Prince’s bickering following close behind.

“Highness, you do realize that you have eaten more than your fair share of tomato’s correct?” Ignis’s smooth, accented voice asked as a huff escaped the Prince.

“Never! I would’ve immediately had a reaction and flatlined right there,” Noct huffed. “Name _ one time _ I ate a tomato!”

Gladio turned around just in time to see the flat expression on the Adviser’s face as he lifted his hand to start counting off on his fingers. “Pizza sauce, Spaghetti sauce, ketchup… what do you think I’ve been serving you with your grilled cheeses all these years?”

Noct gasped and clutched his chest, a look of betrayal in his eyes. “You said there were no vegetables in that!”

“I lied.”

Prompto snorted and covered his mouth with his hand. “Dude. It’s literally called tomato soup!”

“He didn’t call it that!” Noct whined as Ignis’s lips quirked up in a badly hidden smirk.

“What did he call it then?” Prompto asked curiously.

“_ Zuppa di pomodoro, _ ” Ignis supplied lightly. “It’s Italian for ‘ _ tomato soup _’.”

“This is treason!”

“No. This is my way of making sure you don’t die of scurvy.”

As Noct continued to grumble at Prompto’s laughter and continued teasing, Ignis’s expression turned from amusement to curiosity as he glanced toward Gladio. 

“Everything alright?” the Adviser asked, eyes flickering to the side and seeming to take note of the same thing that had caught his attention. “Well… that’s certainly odd.”

Gladio nodded instantly at that. “Right? It… doesn’t belong here,” he said as he turned to look at it once more, Ignis moving to stand beside him. Glancing over, Gladio could see Ignis making quick work of analyzing the area, probably more thoroughly then even he’d done in the short time he’d stood there.

Their quietness seemed to have drawn the attention of the younger two as the grumbles and giggles had both settled down and they came to stand closer to them as well.

“What are you two lookin’ at?” Prompto asked as he glanced around Gladio’s larger frame and saw what had drawn their interest. “That old building? What’s so special about that?”

“Yeah. There’s plenty of those nowadays,” Noct said with a dismissive wave of his hand as well.

“Perhaps this would be a good lesson in observance for you then, Noct,” Ignis offered, turning to look at the Prince. “While it’s become something un-noteworthy in our travels, there are some particular features here that are… truly curious. What do you see?”

Noct quirked an eyebrow, glancing between Ignis and Gladio before looking over at the building.

“I see an old house that is overgrown with weeds and that Gladio found more interesting than a tomato hunt, _ which _ I seriously don’t blame him for,” he said with a shrug, making Prompto chuckle again.

This time, Gladio spoke up, his brow furrowed as he shook his head. “There’s more to it then that, Noct,” he said simply, quieting the laughter and making both of the younger men turn their attention back toward the building.

“I mean… it is kinda weird that there’s a _house_ all the way out here, right?” Prompto asked, Gladio giving a little hum of confirmation.

“Yeah. Not to mention that we are about an hour from the nearest town and when we came in here there were no trails leading up from the road. Most of the buildings we find are near a town and have at least one trail leading to them,” he stated, turning to look at Prompto. “What else do you notice?”

Apparently emboldened by the question, Prompto stepped up next to Gladio and continued to look over the building, his concentrated face turning to one of surprise as his eyes widened a bit in realization. “It’s painted? Or like… it _ was _ painted and the door looks like it’s about to cave and the wind-...,” he paused then, looking over at the older two.

“Now you see why it’s so curious?” Ignis asked.

“Why it drew our attention and why you should observe things carefully?” Gladio supplied as well.

“What? What about the window?” Noct asked as he finally came to stand beside them, not feeling like being left out or pretending that it was something that he wasn’t curious about. “We’ve seen hundreds of these buildings all around Lucis and they all look the same! Busted windows, boarded windows, no windows… what’s so interesting about this one?”

“Okay, Prince Unobservant… let me ask you a question,” Gladio asked, turning to look at Noctis. “When you have a house and you want to keep people out you do what?”

“Lock it! Obviously! I don’t get why you’re asking me such a stup-...,”

“Look at the house again, your Highness. Tell me… why it is that we find this building so curious?” Ignis cut in and Noct grumbled a bit as he turned and took in the exterior of the home once more.

“Okay fine! Mossy roof, crappy paint job, bolted door and the windows are…… oh…,” he whispered and finally he understood.

There were many features off about this home, but what stood out more than anything was the rather large branches someone had taken the time to press up against the window shutters, lodging them shut from the outside. It took a moment to notice them among all the other foliage, but once they were observed it became crystal clear.

If you wanted someone to stay out you locked things up from the inside.

This building was created to keep things from coming _ outside. _

The group fell quiet as they all continued to watch the house for a moment, the wind picking up slightly and rustling the leaves that lay scattered in the undergrowth.

Gladio felt Prompto shiver next to him, but he suspected it had nothing to do with the slight chill in the air.

“I don’t think there’s anything to be gained by venturing further into this,” Ignis said after a moment and Gladio could almost hear the sigh of relief coming from the gunner beside him. “It’s obvious no one has been here for years. If anything this place is more curious than harmful. Besides, we should really get back to Takka. I think we could all use a warm meal. Perhaps some _ zuppa di pomodoro? _”

That seemed to be enough to break the eerie quiet that had fallen over them as Noct instantly made a gagging noise and began to walk away.

“Why couldn’t you just let me continue to live with the lies?!” he cried as Prompto chased after him, more than happy to get away from the creepy house and its secrets in favor of teasing his friend.

“But if you liked it then why would you hate it now just because you know what it is?” the blond teased slinging and arm around Noct’s shoulder and jostling his friend.

“Because I know what it is!” the Prince whined as they continued to make their way back toward the road and the Regalia.

Gladio felt Ignis shift slightly beside him as they watched the other two leave and turned toward the Adviser. “You really think there’s nothing in that house, Iggy?” Gladio asked, watching as Ignis’ brow furrowed slightly and his lips drew thin.

“I didn’t say that,” he said quietly. “I said there’s nothing to be gained by venturing further.” Without another word the man turned to follow his young charge, leaving the Shield to feel a bit of unease settling in his chest.

Glancing one last time to the rickity old house he pretended not to notice that the branches holding the window shutters shut seemed to be growing old and weak. He pretended he didn’t notice how firmly the ends had been pushed into the earth, whether by the person who put them there, or from something trying to push its way out.

Most importantly, as he began to follow the rest of them back toward the road under the failing light of the day… he pretended that he didn’t hear the creak of old wood being pushed and the rattle of rusty hinges on weakened sills.


End file.
